Molecular electronics at electrode–electrolyte interfaces

Abstract

Four contemporary examples, all published in recent years, of studies of molecular electronics at electrode–electrolyte interfaces are reviewed in this opinion article. The first illustrative example involves the switching of the redox active molecular wire between redox states, with concomitant changes in molecular conductance. This example illustrates how molecular electronics at electrode–electrolyte interfaces can be used to analyse mechanisms of electron transfer, to distinguish electrolyte effects and to provide details not readily available from ensemble measurements. The second example shows that the fluctuations of molecular conductance of a redox active molecular wire can be followed as a function of electrode potential. This shows how the stochastic kinetics of individual reaction events at electrode–electrolyte interfaces can be followed. The third example demonstrates how electrochemistry can be used to control quantum interference in single molecular wires. The fourth example shows a single-molecule electrochemical transistor concept for well-defined metal cluster containing molecular wires.